Wild Rumors Of Wild Coyotes

A flyer being circulated in the Old Granada Hills area warns that "Coyotes are wandering our streets in the early mornings" and says that the coyotes have killed "a number" of cats.

The all-uppercase flyer doesn't have a signature, nor does it provide any supporting details of the alleged cat killings, making it difficult to fact-check.

It's certainly possible that coyotes are wandering around Old GH, although they tend to be more commonly seen in the less densely populated parts of town, like the Bee Canyon area. But it's also possible that this flyer contains a bit of speculation, too.

"Since they feel this is a good meal area, they'll return," the flyer asserts, which of course leads one to wonder how the message's author managed to get the inside scoop on the coyotes' feelings and their future plans. Still, the message is well-intentioned, and a decision to keep cats indoors would find plenty of support, including that of L.A. Animal Services, who have provided this useful guide to dealing with coyotes. Among other tips, L.A. Animal Services recommends placing moth balls or moth ball cakes out to deter coyotes from an area, which, if you're concerned about coyotes, can be found at OSH or any hardware store.



L.A. Animal Services Coyote Information




Hat tip Pat Walsh

Comments

  1. The Roadrunner strikes again. Beep! Beep!

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  2. I think it's nice that someone took the time to warn other pet owners. We're seeing coyotes as well and have also noticed a number of "missing" flyers. Why criticize a good deed?

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  3. I think it's nice too, which is why I described is as well intentioned. And as I mentioned in the post, coyotes aren't unheard of in this area, and if anyone decided to keep their pets indoors, they'd certainly find plenty of support for their decision.

    But I also think it's important to question any piece of information that comes your way -- especially one that may have the effect of provoking a sense of fear -- and to consider the source, the claims, and the evidence. If someone comes forward as the author or can provide some sort of evidence that "a number of cats have been killed," then this would be more credible. But when faced with an anonymous note backed by zero evidence, I feel that a certain degree of circumspect skepticism is warranted.

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  4. I saw one this morning on Ruffner and Armstead at 5:30 a.m. Scared the crap out of me!

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  5. One walked up to us in our front yard as we were getting home in the evening some months back. My husband (Tom) thought it was a dog at first... It probably wanted our leftovers from dinner.

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  6. Haha, yes! I saw a coyote in my backyard one morning a few years ago. My sister also saw one in the driveway at night.

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  7. What the hell is wrong with this author, obviously you're not from Granada Hills because we have them everywhere north of Rinaldi. How stupid of you to criticize and over analyze a simple warning to locals of all the coyotes running around.

    And by the way, the best way to deal with them is called a .22 rifle. Deals with them quite nicely indeed.

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  8. Quite right, how stupid of me to analyze the credibility of information stapled to a telephone pole. Next time, I promise to shoot first, and ask questions later.

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